Ways to annoy a millennial

August 12, 2017 4:00 AM

Complain about all the things that millennials are "killing"

Whether it's bar soap, Home Depot, the movie industry or cereal, chances are you've heard about how millennials are "killing" it. Well apparently, millennials don't like it when people accuse them of killing things. A few millennial writers have compiled snarky lists of things millennials have ruined, poking fun at some of the overwhelming millennial hate and blame.

Complain about all the things that millennials are...photo-13643866.160683 - |ucfirst

Use millennial slang terms incorrectly

Easy words to butcher include "extra" (over the top), "woke" (to be aware or informed) or "savage" (being cool or hardcore in a positive way). Millennials have an entire dictionary of slang, and using it incorrectly could easily ruffle some feathers.

A 2014 study from the White House found that just 13 percent of people ages 18-34 are likely to own a house. A number of online articles shame millennials for not saving enough for to buy a home, and one Australian millionaire even told millennials to "stop buying avocado toast" if they want to buy a home. Housing is a touchy subject for millennials, as a number of millennial authors have laid out reasons why millennials face difficulty in today's housing markets. Also, it didn't end well for the guy who told them to stop buying avocado toast and start saving for a house.

Tell them that they should be able to buy a house A 2014...photo-10866638.160683 - |ucfirst

Tell them that avocado toast isn't anything new or special

The supposed "favorite food of millennials" has actually been around for over 130 years. The San Francisco Chronicle ran a recipe for avocado toast in a 1927 newspaper, and the Daily Alta California ran a similar recipe in an 1885 paper.

A study from the Pew Research Center found that most millennials resist the term "millennials." It states: "Just 40% of adults ages 18 to 34 consider themselves part of the 'millennial generation,' while another 33% – mostly older millennials – consider themselves part of the next older cohort, Generation X." Obviously, not all millennials want to be considered millennials. Older ones may try to be associated with Xennials.

Refer to them as a "millennial" A study from the Pew...photo-11460784.160683 - |ucfirst

Tell them climate change is a myth

Climate change is an issue that millennials care deeply about. A poll from the University of Texas at Austin found that 91 percent of millennials believe that climate change is occurring, and that 62 percent of millennials support decreasing the use of coal as an energy source. Millennials will be around to see some of the long term effects of climate change, so nothing would bother them more than to hear someone deny something that 97 percent of scientists agree is happening.

Tell them climate change is a myth Climate change is an issue...photo-10932463.160683 - |ucfirst

If you are a male, go out of your way to lecture a female millennial about something

Millennials hate "mansplaining," or what many perceive as the all-too-frequent act of a man explaining something to a woman in a "condescending or patronizing way." The term is believed to have originated from 2008 and 2009 blog posts by San Francisco feminist author Rebecca Solnit. In a July CNN article about millennials holding positions of power in the workplace, one 31-year-old stated that her biggest challenge is dealing with "mansplaining." She states: "Men love mansplaining. It's 2017, you assume there's no gender bias when it comes to working and being a boss, but unfortunately that is not the case."

If you are a male, go out of your way to lecture a female...photo-13669715.160683 - |ucfirst

If you are white, go out of your way to lecture a millennial of color about something

Millennials also hate "whitesplaining," or the act of a white person explaining something to an ethnic minority in a "condescending or patronizing way." A June article from the Huffington Post states that "whitesplaining perpetuates white privilege which fuels racism."

show that millennials love Ben & Jerry's ice cream. However, a study also recently said that there are "traces of glyphosate (an herbicide that is the main ingredient in Roundup) in 10 of 11 samples of the company’s ice creams." Millennials are more conscientious than other generations about what they put in their bodies, so informing them about what is really in their favorite ice cream may be a bit of a shock.

In an interview with Business Insider, marketing strategist Jason Dorsey of The Center for Generational Kinetics stated that "Millennials are buying cars in record numbers online and through services from eBay to truecar.com because the traditional retail experience doesn’t play to how millennials like to buy." The reasoning for this? Dorsey states that millennials don't like "being treated like a number combined with high-pressure sales tactics," and "the best example of this is the traditional car-buying experience."

Tell them to go buy a car in person In an interview with...photo-12294721.160683 - |ucfirst

If you are a business owner, don't offer free Wi-Fi

Dorsey also told Business Insider that "Millennials do not like retail experiences where free Wi-Fi is expected but not offered. While this may not be expected in an apparel store it’s absolutely expected at a restaurant."

A study from the Pew Research Center found that 40 percent of millennials have tattoos, and another study from the University of Arkansas found that they "use tattoos as a way to find meaning, permanence and stability — and thus a coherent identity — in an increasingly complex and fragmented world." However, a different Pew Research Center study found that 70 percent of millennials with tattoos keep them hidden while in public.

Whether it's bar soap, Home Depot, the movie industry or cereal, chances are you've heard about how millennials are "killing" it. Well apparently, millennials don't like it when people accuse them of killing things. A few millennial writers have compiled snarky lists of things millennials have ruined, poking fun at some of the overwhelming millennial hate and blame.